Kicking the dirt with contempt, I glared onward as I continued to travel off the beaten path. Though, it at least beat the shifting sands of the desert, loathe as I had been to leave the place behind. It had been a hasty retreat, a sloppy one at that. And certainly not one that mattered in any way when it came to the well-being of the nation.
No, Efiramus was done for, through and through. The place had been occupied for a time before, but Arbre was a new, still expanding nation. They were unlikely to loose any land that they'd claimed, especially not when they'd done it in a way that the elves would approve of. They'd been "provoked" through an unreasonable request in negotiations. And frankly? That wasn't something I believed for a second, Lizaka were notoriously impassive when it came to such matters. At worst they made a slightly insensitive request, but Arbre took it as an invitation to wreak havoc.
My tail lashed agitatedly, mildly spooking the man walking behind me. One of a few ragtag individuals who had made it this far with me. There used to be more, but... we were all wanted individuals. Loss was inevitable. Turning ourselves in would likely be the best course of action, and I wouldn't stop any of them from doing as such... but something in my gut won't allow me to sit down and give up.
Our march gently grinded to a halt, just as my legs did a moment prior. My eyes scan over the location, appraising it in a matter of moments. A large tree, large even for the standards of The Grand Forest; blotted out the sun almost completely in the surrounding area. Stubbing the growth of vegetation for presumably miles. I'd noticed the lack of larger plant growth a while back, and thus could only assume that there would be a proper location for a shelter nearby. And now, here we were.
Quickly turning, I stamped my foot once and sucked in a breath. "Everybody, at attention! We'll stop here for the night, if there are any hostile creatures taking up home in the tree, or nearby, drive them out! Otherwise, avoid conflict! You've all done this enough times by now to understand how to move forward!"
A series of affirmative grunts and nods were all I got in response, there was no need for fanfare, my troops already understood, as I'd said.
By now, we were far enough into the Forest that we likely could've avoided any further pursuance, but I also couldn't be sure. This was still somewhat close to the forest fire that had rampaged through a nearby Barony some months ago. We needed to head deeper, but for now, this place would do for a temporary shelter. And it would be all the better if there were any cooperative individuals around. Smarter races tended to be the ones occupying such places. That, or a few individually powerful creatures. In which case, running might be in our best interests... but, we've enough to worry about right now.
In the now, we need food. And with my speed, I'm the one best equipped to get it.
Casting one final glance in the direction of my troops, already dutifully constructing a makeshift camp, I sigh and turn my attention to the underbrush ahead. Hopefully, half the things that seemed edible this time around weren't secretly either lethally poisonous or a coalition of wriggling parasites.
Breathing in deeply, I closed my eyes and visualized an all too familiar brilliant cyan. My body crackled with energy a moment later as my magic surged. A quick stretch later, and I took off into the greenery.
Despite my inability to feel proper shame or regret anymore, using my magic ever since that day has always forced me to think about it. Perhaps a side effect of sacrificing so much for the purpose of revenge, but either way it's annoying.
I try to push It to the back of my mind, spearing some poor creature on the edge of my blade, but I simply can't help it.
...Very well, it was only more reason to grow stronger. Recall it, get angry, keep moving.
...
"STOP HIM!" I screamed out as I flew up the stairs, each movement of my body like liquid agony, but still I persisted. My magic mending me with each step, barely working fast enough for my voice to properly sound after having almost been charred to a corpse.
My agitation seems to have shaken the soldiers up on the wall, bunch of damn idiots... but, no matter, the invader was well within line of sight still. One good shot would be enough to put them down.
Forcing agonizing gulps of air down, I did my best to clear my mind of the ash currently clouding everything that I felt. It had been a miracle that I managed to keep my healing magic active throughout the invaders assault, but he was going to pay dearly for failing to finish me!
With one last shaky, shuddering breath, I raised an arm to the sky and closed my still singed eyes. Lines forming in my mind as I visualized the proper pattern for one, final, bolt of lightning. And within short order, I felt my magic coalescing in the palm of my hand. My eyes snapping open, meeting the invaders from an immense distance.
They gazed up at me, an impassionate glare, one that only those whom had experienced its fury first-hand could possibly understand. Absolute rage and anguish contained behind a facade of neutrality. Did they glare because they knew they would die? Were they angry? Or was it something else?
Yet despite all that fury, bottled up into an impossibly small container... it just... vanished, in an instant. As if they had come to terms with something. The rage contained an instant earlier seemingly evaporating into nothing. Only a tired, saddened look remaining.
They hadn't spared a moment longer looking upon me, turning their back and walking away. Had they simply given up? Or... was it not even worth it any more?
My eyes flitted from the defenseless form of my prior opponent, and the crackling lightning now resting in the palm of my hand.
Was this... worth it? There'd been an air of desperation to the invaders final assault. All over their familiar. It wasn't as if their attack had been personal, there was no hatred for me in that moment, and his eyes betrayed that same point of view not but a moment earlier. So... what is this? What do I stand to gain by striking down a defenseless man likely only following orders...?
...No, that's not the question I should be asking. What... do I stand to lose?
My gaze hardened as my hand began to tremble, my fried nerves still difficult to work.
They knew what they signed up for, they knew the risks. And I wasn't going to let them get away with possibly the most damaging assault of the entire war, only to come back and finish the job once they'd recovered.
BOOM
Startled, the concentrated magic in my hand misfired, the spell being loosed from my control with a curse under my breath. The lightning contained by my will in one moment, freeing itself to the heavens in the next.
"Fuck..." I mutter again, glaring at the soldiers still staring wide eyed at my charred body.
"Well!? You heard the damn explosion! Go, go! MO-" but before I can finish barking my orders to the simple guardsmen, the most infernal pain imaginable wrought itself through my throat, my hand flying to the unknowable pain as I broke down to the floor hacking and coughing.
"Sir!"
"G... g... GO!"
There was no time for me, or my suffering. I'd live, the capital wouldn't. Not without all the support it could possibly get. "NOW!"
...
My magic certainly suffered for it, but I had been able to recover relatively quickly. My clothing was in tatters, but that too, would still recover given enough time. The artifact itself hadn't been destroyed in the assault, and with enough magic that problem would solve itself. My skin was still burnt, and likely would scar in multiple locations, but I didn't care. Healing magic was costly to my reserves, and I couldn't afford to waste it on mere comforts.
"Sir, what's the situation!?"
A brave face, but it was obviously a fake one. Terror readily apparent in the eyes of my fellow Beastkin.
"Arbre is making its move! We need t-" BOOM
The very wall we found ourselves standing on shuddered under the immense force of what was likely the combined attacks of hundreds of different individuals. It wouldn't hold for much longer, another volley or two likely being enough to do it in. Under usual circumstances, the wall could be repaired... but unfortunately, Arbre had somehow known where to target in order to destroy a multitude of valuable artifacts. Presumably everywhere that they had been located, given the pinpoints of smoke that had risen around the city.
I couldn't see any captains in the vicinity, and the general certainly wouldn't be up on the wall at this particular moment. So... as it was, I seemed to have the highest standing out of anybody. It was my orders that these men would act on... and knowing that... I couldn't possibly order them to stand and wait for death.
"Dammit, you! And any soldiers that you can round up, find as many civilians as you can! Get them to safety! The wall is going to be lost!"
"S-sir!" He nodded, snapping out a salute and instantly turning tail, leaving me the sole man left on this section of the wall as a dozen other soldiers descend the stairs in short order.
I sigh again, my hand rising to the sky as yet another crackling bolt of energy forms with a thought.
While I wasn't willing to have others throw their lives away, mine was more than fair play.
Arbre would pay in blood for each inch of land.
...
Each step is difficult, my reserves drained utterly with a futile display of resistance. Despite my intentions, my lightning could barely even be considered a threat to the whole. Strikes that would send fear into the hearts of men merely fizzled into nothingness against great barriers of sand, pillars of force magic, and simple spells scaled to an unreasonable degree.
At the very least, I spared the city and its residents precious seconds to spare by redirecting the armies focus... but by now...
BOOM
The walls would be collapsing any moment... as would I.
"Huff... hahhhh..."
It's difficult to even remain standing. My world, flipping upside down as an all too familiar migraine worked its way through my skull. I overdid it, most certainly to an unacceptable degree. Those seconds may have meant something, but my continued survival would most certainly... mean more.
A man dead could do no good.
...But...
Collapsing to my knees, I sucked in a breath as my still burnt flesh screamed out in dulled pain as it collided with the earth beneath me. The constant explosions slowly but surely fading to nothing as the ringing in my ears replaced all. Despite my breathing most assurably radically spiking in the moment, everything became clear to me as the world went blank.
So close to the wall, I was going to die when it fell. I would be among the first found, unable to defend myself, a blast of magic to the back of the head would kill me instantly. My entire body incapable of even raising an effort against an inexperienced mage. I knew this to be true, and despite that, I couldn't muster the strength to change that inevitable outcome.
"Hahhh..."
What... had I been thinking? Everything had been a blur past my fight with that intruder. I... I was as good as dead ever since then. A majority of my magic depleted in order to even keep myself alive, and the rest of it wasted on futile attacks.
Thump-thump
At long last every last fiber of resistance bled itself from me. My body hitting the cold floor without the strength left to support itself. I'd recover in time... but my time was limited.
Thump-thump
I'd been overconfident to assume that I would've been fine alone. And now I was to pay the price.
Thump-thump
With only the beat of my heart to accompany me into the long dark, my eyes closed for what I knew would be the final time.
...
BOOM
And yet, I woke once more. A shuddering explosion rocking me back into the waking world.
"Urghhhh..."
Slowly pushing myself off the ground, I rubbed at my eyes as they adjusted to the early morning sun. It felt as if I had a horrible hangover, and given I was still alive, outside a pub I frequented no less... had all of that just been a dream? I must've just gotten blackout drunk or something. It's been a stressful few weeks dealing with the oncoming tide of Arbre's persistent...
I winced as my shins pressed against the stone beneath them. A searing pain shooting its way through my body, almost sending me crashing right back down.
BOOM
"Heh.... hehahaha..."
My chest hurt, the shuddering laugh ripping into me in more ways than one as I fell backwards, slumped against the wall and giggling like a madman.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM
I can't help but laugh as tears well up in my eyes. Was this... some kind of joke?
From my corner in an alleyway, I could see it. The ravaging of my home. It would seem that the soldiers of Arbre had advanced much more by now, but...
The walls lain sundered. Rubble casted all about in uneven chunks, ginormous craters in the road, sand blasted everywhere and masking the buildings in fine layers of it. Some buildings didn't even remain, a stray series of spells likely having claimed more than just the pavement.
And the bodies...
It smelled of ash. Of sulfur and fire. Of brimstone... and blood. Not every body was burnt, but that was by far the predominant scent.
"Hehahah... hahhhh..."
I could feel the bile in my throat rising. Bloody figures, though few and far between, laid strewn across the road. Mostly soldiers, brave fools much like myself. Some of them I recognized, and some... well, some of the bodies were ruined beyond recognition. Even a few donning the garb of Arbre's military were mixed in. However... not all of the bodies belonged to active combatants. Beastkin of all shapes and sizes, humans native to the desert city who had no doubt been mistaken for an enemy force with their failure to evacuate. The only missing group being the lizaka native to the city.
At the very least, the knowledge of that ounce of compassion prevented me from breaking to tears. That this enemy would not go out of their way to cull a species interested only in their own happiness.
"Did you hear that?"
Immediately my laughter caught in my throat, my fists clenching at the distant voice of a man. It wasn't as if I knew for certain whether they were friend or foe, but I believed the current situation made their disposition clear.
My body was still wounded beyond measure, burns now permanently etched into my skin dug deeper than just the surface level. I had done merely the bare minimum to prevent my own death, and was in no condition to fight. It had been a miracle that I'd even mustered the ability to do as much as that mere hours ago. My body should've been battered beyond operation, or perhaps I was only now paying the piper for my misuse of it.
Regardless... I... needed to move! Betwixt the constant ringing explosions, I could hear the muttering conversation of two men growing closer and closer. I was obscured within shade, even should they look into the alleyway which I had collapsed in, but a deeper investigation would provide no challenge in finding me. Let alone if they were capable of using more advanced magic detection techniques.
No, I needed to act, and fast. My wounds were not so grievous as to be incurable. They would scar, leave a permanent mark, and a reminder of what happened on this day, but I could recover. And recover I would, could, NEEDED, to. My eyes snapped shut, hastily recalling the sigils for the proper pattern of healing magic. It would take me an exorbitant amount of magic to rush healing like this, but not enough to put me right back down. With perhaps a little over half of my total magic currently available to me, that would be more than enough.
I was skilled enough to be far superior to the common soldier. It would be a gamble, to risk my life solely on the hope that these two individuals wouldn't pose a threat, but it was a gamble I had no choice but to take. I could hear them getting closer, feel the telltale signs of magic rounding the corner as my awareness returned to me. I may be able to cast magic, but to bring my body back into a condition capable of making use of physical strengthening magic within a mere twenty seconds was an absurd notion.
With a gentle warm glow, I rose to my feet as quietly as I could manage as my healing magic worked its way through my body. The dust sand and dirt falling away as I righted myself.
One, clean blast of lightning was all I needed. Two prongs, with as little magic as I could manage. With a little luck, these two were merely stragglers from the main force. The explosions in the distance certainly seemed to reinforce that possibility, given I couldn't possibly imagine any smaller force constantly reproducing attacks of this level.
Inching closer to the opening of the alleyway, I breathed in and out while conjuring the most compact lightning that I could manage. All the while listening in as best I could to the conversation a mere few feet away by now.
"You're probably jumping at air Kari."
"Can't be too careful. There's already been plenty of stragglers trying to sneak up behind the main force."
"Well, sure. But come on what are the chances? Come on, we're gonna turn this corner right now and-"
There was a cruel humor to it, and I had to wonder, had such thoughts brought on the early death they'd suffered as a result of their astuteness?
"JA-"
One concentrated bolt of lightning blew a hole through the man's skull before he could even work out the words. The attack seamlessly blending in with yet another explosion from far ahead, deeper into the city. His companion went wide eyed, their mouth moving to form something, anything, perhaps a cry of alarm, but another bolt claimed their life much the same way, piercing the man in an instant.
Both of their bodies hit the floor in succession, a gaping hole being all that was left of their visage. Lightning magic was certainly more difficult to work with when its force was amplified, but these two had unfortunately lacked the skills to sense anything wrong before it was far, far too late. It was either me or them, and I wouldn't hesitate to choose my life or any other from this nation over theirs in a heartbeat. They may have been mere soldiers, but it didn't matter. They couldn't be allowed the chance to ruin anything.
...
While my artifact was convenient, the embroidery of Efiramus stuck out like a sore thumb in comparison to the darker uniform of a traditional Arbre soldier. While it didn't bring me any joy, for now, slipping into the outfit of one of the men whose lives I'd claimed would do me far more good. I could do without the simple physical strengthening that my outfit provided for the moment. For now, I needed to rescue as many as I could.
The carnage was immense, buildings had been blown to bits, the wall surrounding the city had been completely shattered from where they'd broken in. And... I did my best not to think about the scent of burning bodies. The preferred magic choice of Arbre's military was fire, by a long shot. A cruel, yet effective choice. However, now wasn't the time to dwell on it. I needed to move.
Deeper into the city, pockets of resistance still raged fiercely. And as I leapt from building to still standing building, I did my best to approach without notice. Any assistance that I could provide certainly wouldn't be found in any spur of the moment futile struggle against a horde of opponents. I'd tried that very same strategy a single night ago, and that had gone oh so well...
No, directly opposing our conquerors in any way now wasn't going to end well. As much as it pained me to admit it, the best I could do for my people at this point was... nothing. Despite the bodies, there was a clear vested interest in not killing those who weren't resisting. The sooner the fighting ended, the more lives would be spared.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
...However, despite knowing that, I couldn't bring myself to give in and surrender. And I knew that many of my fellow countrymen would find that sentiment quite agreeable. Clearly so, given the fighting hadn't stopped yet. But... that was only going to lead to ruin. More fighting in the city would do nobody no good, nor would it result in any meaningful loss to Arbre.
...A plan was formulating in my mind, but for it to work, I still needed others working with me. And so... I changed course. Leaping over head of a group of soldiers as swiftly as I could. Alerting anybody to a presence in their back lines wouldn't end well, but risks were necessary. Time was limited, and if I wanted to succeed then I needed to act, and fast.
...
I was never particularly skilled in sensing magic, and further techniques to enhance one's capabilities in that regard had always evaded my grasp. But even I could feel the rank veil of magic that had descended over the city. Innumerable spells shot back and forth, the entire place blasted and restructured a thousand times over in the span of a single night.
I took in every last second of it, knowing that this would be the very last time that I saw my home.
Fortunately enough, the place that one of six actively resisting forces had holed themselves into wasn't too difficult to enter. I wasn't born proficient in illusion magic, nor mental magic to communicate my intentions... but what I was born with was more than enough.
Incomparably so to other mages of my level, I was fast. The combination of lightning and physical strengthening making my movement something to be feared amongst those who may call themselves my equals, or occasionally, even my betters. And because of that, steering clear of prying eyes was more than possible. All I needed to do, was not be seen. Or at the very least, to be barely seen. Out of the corner of somebody's eye, they may notice me... but all they'd glimpse would be a blue streak, gone in an instant.
Like many other things, this plan was a gamble. Should anybody be skilled enough to perceive my magic from such a distance, I'd still be detected. Forcing that much power into a spell, and still reasonably masking it, were two very conflicting tasks. However, I staked my bets on one simple fact. Arbre's military usually operated in two forms. They disliked sending their elites to work with their infantry, instead preferring to send them on smaller scale infiltration missions, which had been demonstrated to me not too long ago.
And... as far as I knew, it had worked. Quick movements propelling me from rooftop to rooftop, zooming past the view of the soldiers and into the staircase behind a few members of Efiramus' own military. Firing the occasional spell back in mild protest against the overwhelming firepower of the Arbre military.
Before making this gambit, I had of course, put on my prior uniform, having pulled it out of the spatial storage ring handed out to most high ranking officers. Changing clothes as quickly as I could while having shoved the Arbre uniform into the same artifact. It may be useful later, so no need to abandon it.
Now sprinting down the stairs, I cleared my throat as eyes rapidly turned to me, hands quickly flashing to various implements.
"I AM HARRIS OLFIEL, SECOND RANK CAPTAIN, I AM NOT AN ENEMY!"
Weapons still remained pointed, hesitation and nervousness apparent in the eyes of many.
"As I'm sure you're all aware, our time is EXTREMELY limited! Efiramus has practically already fallen, and it's not going to take long for Arbre to crack down on you and our comrades! However, there is nothing we can do for them! The best we can do now is to escape, along with any others who may have had the same idea!"
Among other things... but, it wasn't important for now.
"What are you suggesting!?" A voice called from the crowd, a stern faced man still holding onto a larger staff.
"I will create a distraction for a short moment! Use that to run for the wall, and begin making your way towards The Grand Forest! Don't stop to look back, and I'll arrive soon after the fact! I know you may all have your reservations, but staying here will do no good for anybody! Efimarus is lost! And time is limited!"
There are still mumbles of dissent, but I don't spare them a single moment.
"As the highest ranking officer present-" I just hoped nobody could actually contest that"-I order all of you! Escape!"
At least one person in the room should know the correct direction, at least, ONE. Many things had been left up to luck so far, and the next step would be no different. However, I had no other choice. All I could do was hope, hope against hope that everything would manage to line up perfectly. And so, I sprinted back up the stairs. Yelling the same exact spiel at the few men huddled up on the rooftop.
"GO! I'll start in ten seconds!"
The firepower that I could bring to bear wouldn't be nearly enough to overpower Arbre, even with their currently fragmented forces, but it would hopefully be at least enough to stun and surprise them. To buy a precious, few, seconds.
Lightning once again crackled in the palms of my hands as I converted over half my current magic into a single spell. Much of it was wasted, spilling out to the outside world and most certainly alarming the enemy forces of the incoming strike. Their attacks on the now crumbling building slowly ever so slightly as multiple defenses were presumably erected.
A few moments later, I let loose my own. A massive blast of lightning ripping forwards, and persisting for at least two seconds. All the while a deafening sound echoing from the magic. Crashing first against the wall of sand that had arisen, it blew through it and created a cloud of fine sand, quickly moving onto a force barrier, which it fizzled out against in mere moments.
...I'd expected no less, but at the very least the explosion of sand should serve to obscure their vision. A quick glance to the side showed that the soldiers whom I'd instructed took it to heart, various individuals sprinting for the wall as quickly as they could, scattering sand everywhere in their wake.
The attacks came quickly yet again, rocking the foundations upon which I stood. And, as I'd soon notice, ripping into it. The homes of Efiramus were built sturdily, but not quite to the point of withstanding barrages like this entirely undefended for any solid period of time. And so, it collapsed, the frontal wall holding the house up shattering and taking the rest of the structure with it. However, by then, I'd long since leapt from its confines, touching the ground with a grunt as my heavily reinforced legs suffered the brunt of the impact.
With maybe a fifth of my total magic remaining, I manifested a comparatively tiny spell, and aimed it straight at the sand beneath my feet.
BOOM
...
Fortunately enough, no higher magnitude of troops were sent after us. Perhaps they were occupied, or perhaps they simply didn't care about a group of stragglers running from the battle.
Either way, I and a group of twenty or so individuals had made it out of the city. Some of them had fallen behind and gotten caught by the meager effort that had been put into catching us, but most had made it. For now, at least. We never slowed for even a moment, the threat of capture looming over our backs. The distance to The Grand Forest was massive from the Capital City of Efiramus, but certainly not a distance that couldn't be crossed.
Even more fortunately, it would seem as if the stars had crossed on my impromptu plan, because everybody present was more than proficient enough with physical strengthening magic to keep pace at the bare minimum.
...I couldn't believe my luck, it was... almost ludicrous. Everything, besides the obvious, had gone right for me. I'd... had my doubts about my plan, but now...
It felt as if the very world itself was telling me to do it.
...Arbre WOULD pay in blood for the land they'd taken, and the lives they've claimed.
...
"Not much further now!" I called out to the now struggling soldiers who'd followed me all the way to the grassier lands on the outer regions of The Grand Forest. Over the course of almost a full day, many of them had gotten exhausted, and the desert sun certainly hadn't helped, but physical strengthening at the very least made the heat more tolerable when used properly.
We'd taken breaks, short ones, throughout the journey, taking a few minutes to catch our breath... But so close to relative safety? I wasn't willing to stop. Already I could feel the magic in the air that would be necessary for my plan, so I was more than certain of our proximity.
The most I got for my reassurances were tired groans, but that was alright. If everybody here had been able to keep up so far, then they certainly could make the final charge. As the trees grew thicker, and the air became ever colder, I knew that we'd finally arrived.
"We're finally here! Everybody, recover your stamina and control your magic! We'll continue forward without the use of any physical strengthening to avoid tracking from here on out!"
At least, for a time we would. Tracking magic could ruin everything if wind of what I had planned was caught early. For the moment, I needed to put as much distance between our last identifiable trace and where we'd create the contracts. It's unlikely, but after the bout of fortune I'd experienced in recent memory, I didn't want to have any risk of my plans being exposed.
...
Everything still felt... a little unreal, if I had to be honest. One day I was in my hometown, and the next I was in enemy territory in the middle of one of the three prominent magic rich locations. If everything went well, I'd never see it again... but that was alright. I'd already made up my mind.
"Listen up!" My voice echoed through the night, drawing the attention of the small group of soldiers who'd managed to stick it all the way here. We'd managed to set up a makeshift camp for the night, and fortunately we hadn't had too many attacks from the native fauna. Certainly nothing threatening, at least. All creatures that could be dealt with, with relative ease.
"I have an important announcement to make, and you might not all agree with my course of action, but ever since the attack I've been thinking of a plan!"
This group had never really been one to talk back. I've seen them talk amongst themselves plenty, but to me? Well, they've been a little distant. That's fine, I didn't need them to treat me like a friend. For instance, that served my purposes just fine in the moment.
"We're all hurting from Arbre's unjust assault! They've taken our home and slaughtered hundreds of our people! I know I want to take revenge, in some way that would matter, a way that would hurt! But as it stands, we're simply too weak. Even with years of practice, we'd still be too weak! And that is why I've brought us here, to The Grand Forest!"
A few heads tilted as they waited for me to get on with it, though I could see the wheels turning in a few of them as well.
"So what do we need? We need power! Power, and a plan! And I know how to satisfy both of those requirements! And I know most of you will have at least heard stories of what I'm about to propose. To anybody who will stand with me, to anybody willing to sacrifice their lives! We, will make contracts. Contracts to sacrifice portions of our humanity, in exchange for power."
"That's forbidden in the Elven Decree!" A protest immediately rose from the crowd, and he wasn't wrong. Since centuries, milleniums, ago, this practice had been outlawed by the wider world. Denounced as vile, sacrilege against the founding gods who fought against mages who abused the very concept. But... so what? What did it matter? My home was already lost, I had nothing else for me waiting in life. No family, no friends...
"SO WHAT!? They've destroyed our very homes! If they seek to bring conflict, we'll return it to the very heart of their Kingdom! I won't stop any who don't wish to participate in this, you'll be allowed to leave on one condition. Agree to a contract to never speak of this plan, to anybody, and you may leave. However, no matter what, I won't be dissuaded! Arbre has brought this on themselves!"
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted somebody already stepping back, clearly shocked by the brazen proposal. "I-I will not go along with th-" and immediately, a specific image flashed through my mind, my hand flashing to the blade at my side, drawing it and pointing it at the offending individual.
"I do not wish to harm my fellow countryman, but if you refuse to comply with my one demand, I won't hesitate to claim your head!"
Silence reigned for a long moment after the fact... but, one lone voice pierced through the crowd.
"Y-you speak of revenge, but even if we were to suddenly grow suddenly stronger, we wouldn't be anywhere near the level of an Arbre Master. Not even a Demonization Contract can propel somebody so suddenly."
Still holding my blade, I paused before slowly nodding.
"You are correct, I don't seek to fell Arbre entirely, that's a fools errand. But, we can still knock the giant down a peg. I have a plan, but I will need your full loyalties! Now, answer me! Which of you will join me!?"
----------------------------------------
Dictionary
Tracking Magic
Tracking magic is an application of attributeless magic. To be precise, it's much more close to simple magic detection. In my opinion, it's hardly deserving of a proper classification, but I can acknowledge that it has its quirks.
When a mage detects magic, what they're using is a surface level of their own abilities. To put it into an analogy, a mage observing magic would be equivalent to the average individual being assigned a task, and simply complying with the surface level of it. They would not question why they perform the task, or why it must be done, merely that they are doing it. While it is perhaps somewhat of a stretch to compare the two things in this way, one could construe it as an individual simply not putting the effort into understanding the task.
In a mage's case, deepening their perception in that moment would be equivalent to deciding to properly understand the task at hand. However, doing such a thing on the spot is difficult. That; would be recognized as a Mind Realm. To perfectly comprehend the world around them at a moment's notice, and all of its magic. Tracking magic, is effectively a dulled down version of this particular application of attributeless magic. Instead of requiring the level of focus, on top of the ability to split that focus like a Mind Realm user would, a user of tracking magic is instead delegating their focus entirely to the world's magic.
This has shockingly few combat applications, given it's a technique descended from one of the more potent applications of attributeless magic. This is due to a simple reason. While the user is capable of precisely detecting magic in that moment, they become incapable of acting on it without relinquishing their focus. This paired with the fact that unlike a Mind Realm user, the user of tracking magic cannot precisely distinguish everything about a spell, instead they are only able to distinguish two main things: whether the magic around them is natural, or not.
While it is practically useless in the case of any conflict, it is a relatively easy application of magic to learn, thus it has mainly found its niche in a few specific situations. Namely, observing traces of leftover magic left behind by the casting of a spell, to distinguish where an individual has gone, or if magic was used in a specific scenario, thus leading to its specific classification; "tracking magic".
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Elven Decree
The Elven Decree is a series of laws agreed to by the wider world ever since ancient times. They are officially enforced by the long standing elven nation of Greenhome, mostly due to the fact that the fall of this kingdom is extremely unlikely. And thus, there will always be somebody to uphold the rules. It also helps that elves are notoriously powerful due to their longer lifespans, thus granting them the ability to prevent infractions, by force, if necessary.
The uses of magic prohibited by this decree are vast, but a few notable inclusions would involve sacrificing portions of ones humanity in the use of a contract for some form of gain, wide scale prohibitions of necromantic magic barring certain scenarios, and excessively cruel methods of torture such as the forced destruction of a contract. Among other various cruel and unusual acts made capable through the overarching nature of magic.
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Gods
The Gods of old times are revered figures, recognized as such due to their overwhelming abilities in their respective fields. While some have sought to claim the title of "God" past the initial declaration of the four, most have failed. All except for one.
While they are all long dead, their legends still live on as the most powerful users of magic to ever exist. Their teachings spread to their descendants and everybody around them, sparking the initial flame of passion that was magic into the wider world. This, on top of their immense strength, was what lead to them being known as "Gods".
The God of Magic, skilled in every field of magic. While they were perhaps not the strongest of the four, they were by far the most versatile. Their arsenal of magic spreading to eventually encompass every known form of magic, at least in some capacity. Their teachings spread far and wide throughout the world, though despite their multitude of students, nobody ever managed to figure out their true name and face. Though, that certainly didn't stop them from doing their best work. Their most famous creation being Pattern Casting, allowing the wider world to experience the joy of magic that they found so wonderful, regardless of their level of talent.
The God of Passion, while perhaps the least skilled in magic, was the only one of the Gods to have been known more personally by the denizens of the world. A human named "Mirren Jacobs", who created the first, and most potent Wonder. Inspiring hundreds, if not thousands, to take after his craft. Many humans have sought after his skills in the forge, yet evidently, all have failed. While offered Kingship in various forms throughout his life, he declined each and every offer in favor of his interests.
The God of Creation, widely considered the founder of most advanced forms of magic. Except notably; time magic. They constructed entire cities in the span of mere days on a whim, and more importantly, created the method of enchanting and imbuing that is widely used in the modern day. They were known to spend much time with The God of Passion, but unlike the former their name and race failed to be passed down through history, perhaps by choice.
The God of Will, unlike the previous three, it's widely theorized that this God may have never perished. However, despite that, no traces of their existence remained throughout the world. The only hallmarks leaving their reputation as a God intact; being the personal testimony of The God of Passion and the existence of Toliama Falls.
And lastly, the worst God, recognized only for their immense power, The Demon God. As their name may entail, they were responsible for the creation of the Demonization Contract, and its many branching consequences. Were it not for the efforts of the other Gods, the world itself may be in a far worse state. In their battle, it is said that The God of Magic, and The God of Creation, were both slain.